Ca. 1960 Del Vecchio Lap Steel
The lap steel has always been an international
phenomenon. The idea of playing a guitar on one’s lap with a metal bar probably
originated in the American south, but it was largely popularized by Hawaiian
musicians and inspired the creation of “Hawaiian-style” instruments across
Europe, the Americas, and eventually east Asia. It was a Hawaiian-style
guitarist – George Beauchamp – who challenged John Dopyera to create the first
resonator guitars and then created one of the first electric guitars, the
“frying pan” lap steel.
These two developments clearly had an impact on Angelo
Del Vecchio. A native Sicilian, he moved to Brazil in 1900; two years later he
founded an eponymous company to build guitars and other instruments. When
National resonator guitars became popular, the Del Vecchio company created its
own version of a biscuit-bridge resonator known as the Dinâmico. Popularized
among North American musicians by Chet Atkins, it remains Del Vecchio’s most
well-known product.
However, Del Vecchio has produced a wide range of
products over the decades. Many electrified resonators have popped up, as well
as the occasional solidbody electric guitar. There is scant information
available on them, so dating Del Vecchio instruments can be difficult to
impossible. The styling of the electric guitars appears to date them to the
1960s; this lap steel may be from the same period, but it could be earlier as
well. The construction is fairly simple: the steel is carved from a single piece
of mahogany with a matching cover over the back, plus a Brazilian rosewood
fretboard and ivory-colored plastic trim. The scale is about 24 1/8”. Both the
bridge design and the slotted headstock show a family resemblance to classical
guitars, a staple of the Del Vecchio line. It is likely that the tuner knobs are
replacements, but everything else is probably original. The instrument has seen
its share of dings and finish wear, but it remains fully functional.